


Eye Openings

by honeybb_79



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Friendship, Gen, Guilt, Hostage Situations, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, I know that's right, Kidnapping, Minor Mai/Zuko, Mystery, Sokka being the genius he is, Trust, also azula going insane still, also ty lee and mai dynamic, she still has a heart, toph and zuko alone, toph and zuko getting the friendship arc they deserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26675260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeybb_79/pseuds/honeybb_79
Summary: Set after the 100 year war, Zuko and his palace is under attack, while Team Avatar is trying to keep the destruction down, it is up to Toph to rescue Zuko from his attackers. Is this the life-changing field trip she had expected? Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a few days after the successful victory of the one-hundred year war, and Team Avatar was grateful for the hospitality from Firelord Zuko at his palace. Each of them slept in guest rooms in the palace and enjoyed having to spend time with each other before it was time to return to their “normal lives”— whatever that meant. Ever since Zukos coronation, there had been outrages by his citizens about his ruling— speaking upon their opinion that he caused the downfall of the fire nation. _I will not be like my father_ Zuko thought. He sent his sister away to a psychiatric facility where he hated doing it, but he had to. He couldn’t bare sending his own sister away, but wished that she gets better and become the Azula that he knew when they were children and able to bond before his father wanted the throne. He had the world on his shoulders now. All of the problems that the fire nation caused by his predecessors were onto _his_ hands, and he couldn’t be more scared of hoping whatever he did was right, but he knew he had his friends and Uncle Iroh, but he still felt alone on this.

Worried about the well-being and the dangers of the new Firelord, Mai recruited the Kyoshi Warriors to protect Zuko in and outside of the palace. Everyone was sound asleep and the warriors were on duty protecting the palace. Ty Lee was outside of Zukos bedroom door watching the hallways and making sure she doesnt hear anything out of the ordinary, while Suki stood outside of Zukos balcony walking back and forth and watching the outside. The rest of the warriors were scattered around the palace walking around the premises. In his room asleep, Zuko kept tossing and turning and muttering something and sounding frustrated.

_“You must protect yourself, my son,” his mother whispered. Her figure fading in and out of Zukos vision. Zuko stood in a black background with nothing else but his moms figure. Confused by her words, he panics._

_“What? What do you mean, mother? I have the Kyoshi Warriors!” He replied turning around to find his mom._

_“You fool! You are ruining the nation! You are a disgrace to me! Just you wait, Zuko,” His fathers voice suddenly appeared. Zuko jumps at the sound of his father, and turns around looking for him, but he couldnt._

_“Mom? Where are you?” He pleads._

_“S- save yourself while you still can! I couldn’t, but I did it to save you!” His mothers voice appeared. Zuko lets his knees fall to the floor and put his hands on his eyes. Full of emotions, he begins to tear up in anguish._

_“I don’t understand! Don’t. . . don’t leave me like this!”_

Zuko sits up awake on his bed gasping for air. Sweating profusely, he clenches onto his bed sheets and begins to breathe heavily on the absurd dream. He got up from his bed and paced around in his room trying to calm himself down. _Breathe in, hold, breathe out_ he told himself. He finally calmed down and saw Suki passed by the door that leads him to his balcony. He opened the doors and greeted her, but she gasped at the sound of his voice. She wasn’t expecting him to be awake.

“Sorry. Didn’t meant to startle you,” he said putting his hands up in the air. Suki lifted up her hand and shooed the air away.

“No, don’t worry about it. Im a bit on edge tonight. There has been an increase of threats at you, Firelord Zuko,” she replies. Zuko stops in his tracks. He didn’t like his friends calling him Firelord. It felt. . . weird.

“Suki, you know you can just call me Zuko. Its not necessary for you to say Firelord,” he advised. Suki nodded her head and looked out from the balcony. He knew about the threats, but he wasn’t letting it get to him— after all he was a master firebender and the warriors and the rest of his friends were in the palace. . . for now. After they leave, it’ll just be him and the warriors. They stood against the railings at the edge of the balcony and looked up at the sky.

“What are you doing up?” Suki asked looking away from the sky and focuses on Zuko.

“I had a nightmare. . . couldn’t go back to sleep.”

“Maybe you should try to go back to sleep. The sun will be coming up soon, and you have work to do later.” Suki waited for a response from Zuko but noticed he kept looking up at the sky. His eyes looking at each star and moving to the ones next to the one he laid his eyes on previously.

“Zuko,” she nudges him. He looks away from the sky startled. “I said something.”

“Sorry,” he let out a small laugh. “I was looking at the stars. What did you say?”

“I said I think you should go back—“ She was interrupted by a grunts and shouting coming from below. Suki leans out from the balcony railing to see what was going on and sees a warrior fighting someone. Zuko saw and became alarmed. Suki saw the warrior get chi-blocked and the hooded attacker looked up at the balcony. Suki let out a gasp.

“We must go,” Suki grabbed Zukos arm, turning around towards the door but was immediately stopped by someone dressed in black, where their mouth and nose was covered by wrapping, landing in front of them from the rooftop and chi-blocking them without hesitation. Suki gasped and let out a grunt when she landed on the floor. Zuko clenched his jaw as he lands on his side. Zuko saw someone else’s feet walking around them. _Theres more than two_ he thought. The person stood over Zuko and bent down to meet with his eyes. Zukos eyes widened at the golden brown eyes that let out a small twinkle. Azula.

She pulls down her wrapping from her mouth, “Sorry to ruin the fun of being firelord, Zuzu, but I believe its enough!”

“Guys what’s going—“ Zuko saw Tylee from afar opening his bedroom door. She stops in her tracks in the middle of Zukos bedroom. In front of her was the open glass door leading to the balcony. Her heart drops seeing Azula. She thought she couldn’t fear her anymore after chi-blocking her back at the boiling rock, but once she saw her, her fear came back. Azula was right when she said her power was fear, it was her ultimate weapon to use. Azula looked behind her facing Ty Lee and she furrowed her eyebrows. The memories flooding her mind on how Ty Lee, the friend she respected most than Mai, betrayed her that day.

“Oh, Ty Lee the traitor! Was it her that told you to betray me?” Azula spat. She walks closer to Ty Lee— making Ty Lee back away from her to protect herself. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but Azula was dangerous. _She somehow escaped from the facility and was back home. . . and for what?_ Ty Lee thought. She had nothing here. Her own father is in prison, her mother is gone, and Zuko. . . he just wants her to be better, but he doesnt want her near the palace.

“What? You’re not making sense!” She responded raising her arms in defense from whatever Azula was going to do.

“Thats all she wants! She wants my downfall! Well, I’m not going to let her win!” Azula spread out her legs and began moving her arms forming blue lightening. Ty Lee stood in front of Azula and the other attacker, but Azula threatened her with the lightening to not get any closer.

“Take him away!” Azula says to the other attacker. She snaps away from the other attacker and looked at Ty Lee furrowing her eyebrows angrily at her, “I’ll handle this one.” The other attacker nodded and picked up the temporarily paralyzed Zuko and put him over their shoulder and jumped over the balcony railing.

Azula let out a grunt and ran after Ty Lee out of Zukos room. Ty Lee began running down the hallway away from Azulas lightening. Running fast, Ty Lee slips as she turns the corner.

She picks herself back up and began to shout, “An intrusion! An intrusion! Help!” She yells passing by rooms not caring who she wakes up and hoping which ever room she was passing by, was one of Team Avatar. She just needed someone. She made it to the part of the palace that had hallways but was open to the outside where the ceiling was the sky. Azula zaps a pillar in front of Ty Lee causing her to fall because the floor was jumping up and down from the heavy pillar landing on the ground.

“Ty Lee?” Aangs voice is heard. Ty Lee looks in front of her past Azula and sees Katara, Aang, and Toph out of their rooms. Paying no mind to Team Avatar, Azula stood over Ty Lee, lifting her arm with lightening ready to shoot out, when Ty Lee rolls away and grabs Azulas leg and pulling it— causing Azula to be swept off the floor and falling to the ground. Azula gasped and roared at her betraying friend.

Letting out fast breaths, Azula yelled at Ty Lee, “No! I can’t let her do this!” Azula jumps from the ground and pushes Ty Lee to the ground, grabbing her arms away from each other and prohibiting her to move them at all. “How did she get to you? How did she get to _all_ of you? She caused this!” Katara opens her jug from her waistband belt and water whips Azula off of Ty Lee. Azula gets up from the ground and began to form lightening with no hesitation. She points her finger with lightening spewing out and extends out aiming at Katara. Aang stood in front Katara and takes the bait of the lightening. Bringing his arms together, he was able to let the lightening flow in his arms. From a far distance, Toph hears Zukos voice. She gets closer to the sound from an open window that leads to outside.

“Help me!” Zuko shouts. The attacker knowing the paralyzation was wearing off, drops the firelord off of his shoulder and onto the ground and chi-blocked him once more. Zuko let out a soft grunt as the attacker put a rag over his nose and he inhaled a horrible smell. Zuko didn’t know or remember what happened after that.

“Zukos being taken away!” She yells out. Katara helps up Ty Lee who was suffering from minor concussions from Azula pushing her to the ground.

“Go after them! We got this!” Aang said trying to control the lightening away from his heart. With a nod of approval from Aang that he had it under control, she found herself running away from the scene and Toph jumps out the window using her Earth bending to create rock platforms for her to jump down to the ground safely. She runs after the attacker in the grass covered courtyard using seismic sense. She gets closer, she can feel it, and at a close distance, she puts both of her arms in front of her and shoots them up, where a wall was made in front of attacker. The attacker couldn’t stop immediately and crashed face front to the rock wall, collapsing to the ground. Zuko laid on the floor not muttering a word to Toph. As she gets closer to Zuko, she gets chi-blocked from someone behind her. Toph falling to the round, she grew angry that she was so close to saving Zuko and angry that her sense had failed her. She was not able to do anything about it.

_Just like Aang. . . footsteps like a feather_ she thought to herself.

* * *

**Authors note:**

Hello all! :)Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts about this story. I tried my best to describe the element bending as best as I could, so I hope you were able to visualize the bending.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The after-math of the attack

Sokka heard grunts and groans outside of a window as he was walking in the hallway of the palace. He couldn’t get to sleep, and he thought the way he can make himself tired was to walk around the palace until his eyes began to feel droopy. He looked outside of the window and saw a warrior being attacked by someone covered in black and only saw their eyes. We’re being attacked he thought. He immediately thought of Suki. She was on duty protecting Zuko outside his balcony. His mind flashbacks to Yue back in the Northern Water Tribe. He couldn’t protect her when General Zhao disrupted the balance between Tui and La. He was trusted to protect her, but he couldn’t do anything about it when she made the decision to sacrifice her own life restoring the balance. Tears welling in his eyes, he runs towards Zukos bedroom where he found the bedroom door open. He heard a female voice shouting for help farther away, but he dismissed it— he just wanted to find Suki okay.

“Suki?” He walks into the bedroom and finds the balcony door open and Suki lying there on the ground. She let out soft grunts trying to move but was still paralyzed.

“I-im. . . im okay,” she whispered. He got down on both knees to meet eye to eye with her and she asked him if he can roll her over, and he did. He picks her head up and hugs her limp body and began to cry.

“I’m so sorry, Suki. I was scared you were gone, and I didn’t know what I’d do if you were gone. I’d just blame myself.” He looks down to see her face and she frowned letting small tears stream down her face. To his surprise, she was able to move her arm and she cupped his cheek and rubbed her thumb against it.

“You can move now,” he said softly smiling. To her disbelief, she didn’t even notice that she was able to move again. Suki looked up at the sky as she noticed blue lightening being shot at the sky. Her eyes widened and began to gasp.

“Sokka, we— we have to go! They took Zuko. We have to go help!” She shouted. She pushed herself off of the ground and grabbed Sokkas hand and made it out of the balcony and the bedroom.

* * *

Aang redirected the lightening up in the air and Azula smiled at that. 

“You fool! You’re no avatar! You should’ve ended me just as quick as I did to you back at the Earth Kingdom. With all the power you have, you’re still weak.” Aang tensed up as he remembered Firelord Ozai saying that exact sentence before in their agni kai. She was just like him he thought. He thought about how scared he was fighting him, and worried that he would end the Avatar cycle, and the feeling he had when he kept thinking no other avatar will exist in the future when his chakra was blocked in the beginning of the battle.

Aang closed hie eyes, “No. Thats where you’re wrong, Azula. I may be weak in your eyes, but I do not fear you as you think I do.” Azula scoffs at Aangs statement not believing a word he just said. What a foolish boy she thought. She couldn’t believe her own father had lost to a twelve- year old boy. She knew somehow her father was weak, and she should’ve been the rightful heir to the throne instead of Zuko to make the fire nation the ruling nation of the world.

“Fear me? Fear me? You should all fear me! I should be firelord! I should be the one! Not Zuko! She can’t treat me like this—“ Azula falls to the ground when Ty Lee jabbed her fingers on her back chi-blocking her. Lying on her back, she let a single tear slip down her cheek. Sobbing silently, she remembers that she was banished from the palace by her own brother. Her own father and mother gone. Her mother did not want her. Her father shaped her into the person he wanted Zuko to be. She was only fourteen years old. Aang inhaled and brought his arms in front of him close together and earth bended restraints on Azulas hands. Katara, Aang, and Ty Lee walked over to her and heard her silently sobbing. Ty Lee looked down at Azula and let a tear slip down her cheek.

“Guys! There was an intru— woah. . . ” Sokka says running towards the remaining Team Avatar with Suki. He stops in his tracks and looks at the gang circled around the fallen Azula. He couldn’t believe that she was there. He thought Zuko put her in a psychiatric facility. If he did, how did she escape? Suki holds onto his arms and hugs it. Sokka looks at Suki and she was subtly frowning.

“Whats wrong?” He asks her. She looks up at him and tears were welling up in her eyes.

“I shouldn’t be crying,” she looks away. He gently grabs her chin and faced her to look at him. Concerned look in his eyes. “It’s my job to protect Zuko, and he’s gone. Who knows what will happen to him or where he is,” she closes her eyes. Suki felt a whole weight on her shoulders being the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Luckily none of her warriors were injured badly, but she felt like she let Zuko down and ruined her trust with Mai to protect him. Most of all, she failed as a warrior to do her duty. Sokka pulls her in for a hug and allowed her to feel her emotions. She silently sobs on his chest clenching onto his shirt.

“Dont worry, Suki. Toph went after him,” Aang said reassuring that things were going to be okay. She paused for a moment and wiped her tears.

“What?” She asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, Toph went after him,” Aang repeated himself. Sokka and Suki looked at each other.

“So, then where’s Toph?” Sokka lifted one eyebrow and crossed his arms at Aang. Aang didn’t even realize that Toph hadn’t returned at all. Katara felt the tension building up between each other and she got between Sokka and Aang.

“Guys, Guys! You shouldn’t have to worry about Toph. She is more than capable of doing things on her own and you know that,” she said holding up her arms extended between the two.

“Of course we know that, but what if she’s somewhere where she’s not even feeling the vibrations from earth? Its scary for her if her feet can’t see!” Sokka clarified. Someone cleared their throat in the hallway with them and it was Zukos advisor and his assistants. The gang turned to face at them.

“We’ve seen the attack, and that Firelord Zuko was taken away.” The advisor announced. He looked further into the group and found Azula restrained lying on the ground.

“I’m assuming Princess Azula led this intrusion?” He said looking up from Azula and facing Aang. Aang nodded his head in agreement. “Then, Avatar Aang, it is your duty to go after the Firelord and return him back safely to run the nation, and I’m well aware about your friend. . .” he pauses for a moment trying to remember the name. “Toph. From what I overheard, she is with the Firelord now. Is that correct?” He looked at everyone and they all nodded. “Very well then. Go find them. In the meantime, we will advise former General Iroh to fill in the role as Firelord. We cannot let someone unfit and incapable to run the nation.” He looks at Azulas stiff body on the ground.

He turns to Zukos assistant and whispered, “Have her properly restrained and take her away.” They all nodded in agreement and walked over to Azula. The gang had bowed in front of Zukos advisor and left the scene. They noticed that the sun was jeering through the windows of the hallways as they walked. Aang heard familiar cooing coming from behind him. He felt small paws walk on his back and sitting on his shoulder. He smiled at his friend.

“Hey, Momo. Where were you?” He questioned. Aang walked forward from the gang and looked at his friends and girlfriend. “We have to get Appa.”

“Yeah, and then once we have Appa, then what?” Ty Lee asked twirling her braids in nervousness. She kept thinking about Azula and how she turned into someone she didn’t recognize. She shakes the thought away. The gang had stood in silence thinking what was theirplan. Sokka was thinking harder than the rest. His mind went back to the day of Sozins Comet just a few days ago where Zuko, the ultimate avatar hunter, was looking for Aang when he disappeared.

His eyes widened, “Wait— Guys! Do you remember that pub Zuko took us to on the day of Sozins Comet?” The gang except for Aang and Ty Lee nodded. Aang let out a confused look as the word ‘pub’ slipped out of Sokkas mouth. What on earth were they doing at a place like that? “You were gone, Aang. Remember?” Sokka clarified and Aang nodded his head.

“What about it, Sokka? Get to the point,” Katara said furrowing her brows.

“Well, that woman! Remember? She had that Shirshu that was able to track down someone just from the smell of that persons item! All we need to do is take something of Zukos or Toph’s and it’ll lead us to there!” Sokka shouted in excitement. He would always get passionate creating a plan and becoming a leader by default. Kataras eyes widened and let out a smile.

“That’s exactly it! Sokka, you genius! We got this guys,” she brought in a group hug.

“All we need to do is find her. . . Sokka muttered. “Her name is June from what I remember.” They broke off the hug, and Aang left and brought back a shirt of Tophs.

“Now we have to go get Appa,” Sokka said. The gang walked to the outer back of the palace where there was a shed to keep Appa in. Aang went inside the nicely built shed, and Appa let out a small roar when he saw Aang.

“Hey, buddy!” Aang greeted Appa and pet his leg. “Its time for another adventure.” He led Appa out of the shed and helped his friends up on Appa. He heard someone clear their throat behind him, and he turned around and saw Mai.

“I was given news about my boyfriends disappearance. I’m coming with,” she said to Aang and went on Appa with the rest of the gang. Ty Lee opened her mouth and squealed.

“Mai, you’re here!” Her arms shot up in excitement.

“I just saw you two days ago,” she responded. Ty Lee brought her arms closer to hug Mai but hesitated to complete her move.

“Can I hug you?”

“Fine. Not too long though.” Ty Lee squealed and hugged her friend tightly. She hugged her for as long as she could until Mai broke it off, “Okay! Okay, that’s too long.” Ty Lee laughed and Mai sat next to her friend. Aang sat on the front and grabbed onto the reins and brought them up, but then he stopped when he realized he didn’t know where to find this June person.

“Where to?” Aang looked behind him asking his friends.

“More likely she’s at the pub again,” Sokka responded. Aang nodded his head and grabbed on to the reins tightly.

“Appa! Yip Yip!”

* * *

 **Authors note** :

Thank you so much for reading and leaving kudos! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko wakes up and meets his attackers. We get to know a little bit about their point of view of the aftermath and a backstory on the attackers. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Zuko opened his eyes and his body hurt all over him. He was inside a dark cave what looked to be a prison cell. A recently made one just for holding someone off and not in an institution. _Where am I?_ He thought. He winced as his head was pounding and remembered he was under attack and was dropped on the ground to get chi-blocked.

“Hello?” He said out loud.

“Oh you’re awake, Sparky,” Toph said. He gasped as he wasn’t expecting someone to respond back. Let alone Toph of all people.

“Toph? Where are you?” He said reaching his hands out around him but he couldn’t separate his hands. His arms were in front but something metal around his wrists were prohibiting him to move. _Im handcuffed_ he thought to himself. He was sitting on a cold hard ground and was sitting against a wall. He shifted his body a little and proceeded to pat his handcuffed hands everywhere on the ground until he felt something and shot his hand back.

“Hey! Thats my hand,” she shot back. A figure holding a torch appeared in front of the cell— dimly lighting the cell. He looked around the cell and noticed that Toph had her hands behind her and was handcuffed. _Why is Toph here? He thought. How did she get here?_

“Ah, the firelord has woken up,” the woman smirked. “You’re quite light to carry.” Zuko furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why did you do this?” He shouted.

“Me? Im not the master planner. Your sister is.” Zuko widened his eyes. He forgot that Azula was there at the palace when it all took place.

“How do you know my sister?” He said getting up from the ground. He walks up to the metal bars and stood face to face with the woman.

She laughed at his face loudly, “Where else? We were in the same facility. Before that, I was in prison before I lost myself in there. Who likes to be in prison when you’re not able to be free?” She walks closer to Zuko. Zuko brought his hands together as much as he can with handcuffs and clenched his hands into fists and shot out fire like big balls of flame. The woman brought her hands together and shot them up creating another wall between the two and let the fire disperse away from her. She brought back the wall down to the ground and smirked. “Be careful, firelord. I secretly trained with the most powerful fire bender there is at the facility.” She extended out her arms, brought them close to her waist and pushed them out creating a rock wall that pushed Zuko against the wall and covered his whole body where only his head was free. He grunted as his head hit against the hard wall.

“Zuko!” Toph yells out trying to get up from the ground.

“Let this be a warning to you, Firelord and little girl. I will not hesitate to end you if you try to do something like that again,” she spat at them. She left for a while and opened the cell door and dropped a tray of food for the both of them. She locks the door behind her and left the torch hanging on the wall. When Toph heard the footsteps becoming fainter, she gets up and metal bends her handcuffs off of her. She extends out her arms, brought them together, and shot out a fisted hand as the other arched back at her against her chest. The rock exploded off of the wall and Zuko falls to the ground face front and lets out a grunt. Toph ran to to his fallen body where she felt the vibrations, kneels down to the ground and flipped him over.

He softly smiled at her, “Thank you, Toph.” He doesnt know why he smiled at her when she can’t even see it, but to his surprise, she smiles back and punches his arm.

“Ow!” He yells out.

“You idiot she might hear you!” She helps him up and sits down next to him.

“Hey can you take these off? They’re uncomfortable.” He extends out his arms towards Toph as she nodded to his quest.He thanks her and rubs his wrists as they were in pain from the tight cuffs.

“How did you get here?” He asks looking at her. She stares off in front of her and places her hands on her lap.

“I was saving your butt, but was chi-blocked too.” She closes her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows in anger. “I don’t get it. I didn’t feel their footsteps just like how I couldn’t feel Aangs when we fought at the tournaments back at the Earth Kingdom.”

“Its okay, Toph you did what you could do.” He placed his hands on her shoulder reassuring to her that he wasn’t mad that she couldn’t rescue him. They began eating and after they were done, Toph explained to him what had happened back at the palace and her attempt to rescue him.

“I was chi-blocked when I was so close to rescue you. Then, something went over my nose and this horrible smell made me knock out for a while. Next thing I know, they’re helping me out of this small boat and onto an island and in here,” she explained. Zuko couldn’t believe the journey that Toph explained.

His body tensed when she spoke upon a horrible smell being over her nose, “Wait— the same thing happened to me too. How long was I out?” He widened his eyes at the realization that he had just woken up not too long ago.

“Maybe a day?” She responded. “You know— whatever they put in those rags or whatever it was, knocked you out pretty good.” He nodded his head slowly.

“Wait— Toph.”

“Yes that’s my name.”

“We can escape out of here,” he whispered at her. She nodded her head.

“Dont think I didn’t think of that at all, Sparky.” She points her finger at him. “I placed my hands against the cell wall and it all felt fuzzy for me. Its just water surrounding us. I wanted to escape right away, but you were slumped— I couldn’t leave you alone in here.”

“We have to make a plan.” He gets up from the floor and paces around the cell slowly.

“What would Sokka do?” He places his finger on his chin and thinks what would the master planner say about a plan to escape from this. He began to imitate Sokkas voice and mannerisms. “Guys! I know! We have to wait until we know the two attackers schedule, take them down and get the keys to unlock this cell!” He groans in response that it was possibly a terrible idea.

“Wow, you really disrespected Sokka with that. You call that a plan?” She laughed at her banter. Zuko groans and slumps back down on the ground sitting next to Toph.

“Well, what do you suggest we do, oh master planner?” He retorts back. Toph scoffs and stands up and began thinking.

“I know for sure the one that carried you is named Lei. I overheard the other attacker mention their name when I woke up on the boat. I think they’re both women.” Zuko nodded his head. “And the one not named Lei, she’s the one that basically secures the surroundings of this place. It’s just them two, but I could be wrong.” She lets out a groan and lays on the ground.

‘’I wish Sokka were here,” she muttered softly. Zuko got up and decided maybe it was time for his inspirational motivation.

“Toph, you think Sokka thought about our escape from Boiling Rock? He had me and his dad, but mostly him and his dad thought of it— but that’s not the point!”

“Then what’s the point?”

Zuko sighed and lowered his voice, “The point is, is that Sokka wasn’t on his own making the big plans. He had people to help him and we have two brains right now! Uncle told me we must plan everything ahead and its okay to not have everything figured out and go with the flow of how it turns out.” He sat back down.

“Oh yeah, so the plan can backfire and Lei can end our lives like she said she would?” Toph slumped back down and thought long and hard. She knows Zuko was trying his best, but its a matter of life or death at this point. . . basically the midline of it: survival. With only them surrounded by water, it would be tough for her to figure things out in the sand when out of the cave/ cell. All she has to know is who else is there, their routine, and how to defeat them. Her eyes widened.

“I got it!” She yelled out, but tried lowering her voice. Zuko shot up and began listening to his friend. He nodded at her and gave approval verbally and added in some suggestions. “Zuko is there any metal in here?”

“Yeah there’s cell bars,” he looks around trying to look for more, “and our handcuffs but that’s about all.” She nods her head and thinks some more. After talking it out, they sighed happily that they may be able to get out. Throughout the day, Toph and Zuko studied what times Lei would come in and leave or do her “random” checkups even though they were at specific times and not sporadic at all. 

* * *

Lei walks out of the cave and finds Lin, her best friend, sitting in the sand facing the waters.

“What are you doing? You’re supposed to be on guard!” Lei yells. Lin doesnt flinch at the tone of her friends voice and ignores it. Lei’s voice fadedly goes away in her mind and all she is able to hear is the roaring sounds of the water. “Did you even hear me?” Leis voice is even more louder. Lin gets whipped around and she grunts at the action that her friend had done. _She had changed_ she thought to herself.

“Did we do the right thing?” Lin whispers. Her eyes trail back to the water and stares at the waves moving back and fourth violently. Lei frowns at her friends choice of tone and sits next to them on the sand. She shifts herself to be comfortable and didn’t know what to say at that question. She didn’t really think of the consequences or about was it really a good plan to follow Azula?

“I want to believe we did.”

“But you follow Azula for anything! It used to be just us. Now look at us! We captured the firelord? Who even does that?” Lin looks away from Lei and hugs her knees as she bent her legs closer to her abdomen. Lei furrowed her eyebrows angrily. She glared at Lin hoping she would look back at her and notice how angry she was.

“Because she was the only one that I believed would be our way out! We’ve been wanting out of that facility for years!” Her voice grew louder and her eyes began to well up with tears. Her sight began getting blurry and she closes her eyes and a tear slips down to her cheek. “Do you know how many times she was there for me lately? More than you have ever done in the past few months! You’ve been shutting me out! Do you know how that feels? Coming from someone that you’ve spent so much hurt and trauma with? Its terrible!” She punches the sand. She lets her body fall to the sand and covered her eyes as she began sobbing.

Her mind goes to the memory of watching her parents getting murdered as they were walking home from a night out together as a family. They were robbed, and her parents pleaded nothing to happen to her and could take anything form them— just don’t hurt their only daughter. Instead of just taking the rest of the money or any valuable things they had with them, her parents were greeted with multiple stabs and Lei just stood there. . . watching. . . not knowing what to do or to take the information. She watched the person get away and her parents were on the ground lifeless together. Her mind snaps back to reality and Lin is watching her.

“But you’ve changed. You’re not the person I knew before. You just follow Azula for any little thing like a turtle-duck! I did this for you! Hoping it would be how it was!” Lin grew even angry. Raising her voice even more louder than Lei did previously. Lei took her hands out of her face and sat up on the sand. Her eyes furrowed and she stood up, gathering her arms together, forming a solid sand ball and throwing it at her. Lin let out a grunt as her body was thrown across and she laid there on the sand. Lei approaches Lins body and stands over it. She bends down to meet eye to eye to her friend.

“Talk to me like that again, and I’ll make sure you regret it. Don’t forget you’re a non-bender. You’re useless!” Lei threatened. Lins eyes widened as these words were coming out of her friends mouth. “If I told Azula you weren’t doing as you were told, I’m sure she won’t hesitate to end you right then and there.”

“Fine!” Lin barked back and gets up from the ground away from the water. She walks back to the entrance of the cave and walks along the premises making sure no one was on their way to rescue the prisoners. As she walks along the premises, she remembers the time Azula was admitted into the facility. Lei grew a friendship with her, but Lin didn’t grow attached to her like Lei did. She recalls the time where it was lunch time for the patients, and Lei would sit with Azula on numerous accounts, and it was all she would talk about when it would be their alone time. She would talk about Azula and never asked about Lins day. Then, she became aggressive when hanging out with Azula. She picked up her mannerisms and was like a carbon-copy of her. But when Azula made the plan for the girls to escape, Lin thought it might be their chance of starting a new life and having their bond back. Just the two of them. She didn’t think she would be involved in a plan in taking the firelord and leading Azula to her reign as the firelord. She kicks a rock as she walks along the premises and looks at the sky and notices the day has grown into an end and the moon was appearing luminously at the sky.

* * *

**Authors Note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you guys so much on the kudos and bookmarks! Love that some people are enjoying it! 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph and Zuko coming together :) more background story on the attackers 
> 
> Enjoy!

**WARNING** : this chapter mentions attempted suicide.

“Are we there yet?” Sokka asked annoyed at how long they were riding on Appa for. He missed the “normalcy” or whatever his life was before, but he knows it won’t go back to the normal he thought he would be spending the rest of his life as. Katara shot a look at him and he ignores his sisters glare.

“Sokka, we’ve been riding on Appa many times. You’ll be okay for this journey,” Aang reassured. They arrived at the kingdom and all Aang had to do was find this June person. Sokka led the way for Aang and they had reached the pub. Most of the gang stayed but Katara, Sokka and Aang got off of Appa and stood outside the pub. They were met with intoxicated people standing out of the entrance of the pub just slurring their words and trying to make sense of theirselves. They heard people cheering and whistling from inside and Sokka opens the door. There, they saw many men standing around a woman and cheering her on whatever she was doing. A crowd was around her and Sokka and Katara kept moving their heads into the crowd making sure this was June they were looking for. They pushed the men out of their way and were met with June. Her eyes looked up to them and sucked her lips.

“Boys, its time for you to leave I have business to do,” June said kicking her legs out from the top of the table. She sits up straight and raises her eyebrows. The men groaned as they walked away from her table and she mocks their reaction. “Aw, I’m so sorry. Next time, boys.” She looks at the kids and smiles.

“Ah, the avatar needs my help? Glad to see you two back,” She says looking at Sokka and Katara. “And what brings you three to me?”

“We need your help on locating our friend, Toph. She was captured last night and she’s in danger.” Aang pulls out a shirt of Tophs and hands it to June. June gets up from the seat and guides the kids out of the pub and into outside looking for her shirshu. Her shirshu arrives at her calling and she lets out her hand to let her animal smell the shirt. Her shirshu began sniffing and looks around the area smelling intensely and heavily into the air. It began walking around and started moving around faster where June notified that her shirshu had found something. The gang got on top of Appa and followed June and her shirshu.

* * *

The next day Toph had woken up to her head laid against Zukos shoulder as both of them were sitting up against the wall. She forgot she had put their handcuffs back on and hurt her wrists when she tried to move. She was awoken by footsteps coming closer— knowing who it was previously from the day before.

“Rise and shine, prisoners!” Lei yelled out loud banging two rocks together. Zuko wakes up in annoyance from disrupting his sleep. He couldn’t sleep the night before and couldn’t move due to Toph slumped against him. He thought it’d be rude to wake her up to move, so he stayed like that the whole night until he himself drifted to sleep. Toph did sleep late into the night because they had stayed up whispering to themselves about the escape they had planned. Lei then opened the cell and dropped a tray of food and slammed it back closed leaving the cave. Zuko and Toph began eating in silence and only kept their thoughts to themselves.

As they sat in silence, Zuko thought about how much Azula had always planned for her to disrupt Zuko in his life or held him back in things that were his destiny. He thinks about how much she would lie to him. Like the time she lied that father forgave him and wanted him back home with Uncle Iroh— only for them to be actually captive prisoners. How much it had stung him to think that he was able to trust Azula this one time. He thought maybe she had changed after all these years when he was gone, but she was the same Azula that he left years ago. He wonders if she knows that he still loves her despite her wrongdoings in their life.

Toph began thinking about how much she wanted a life changing field trip with Zuko and remembered when she thought she was going to have one when looking for Aang with him, only for it to backfire with Zuko. She remembers the sting she felt in her chest once he told her he’d rather not talk about their life right now in that moment. She thought she wasn’t forcing it, but realized that maybe she was forcing it because she wanted the adventure like the rest of the team had. She starts laughing at the thought hysterically, causing Zuko to stop eating and look at her strangely.

“Oh, Zuko. Its just so funny!” Toph wipes a tear from her eye and continues to laugh, “How much I wanted a life changing adventure with you and it backfired so much when we were looking for Aang. Now look at us! Is this the field trip I wanted?” She continues to laugh without stopping and thought of how fruitless it was to think she would ever have a field trip with him. Zuko begins to think about the time they were both looking for Aang. He did know that they had a lot in common— a lot more than he thought, but it wasn’t the right time to discuss about it. They were so close to the day of Sozins Comet, that it wasn’t in his mind to create a bond with Toph like the rest of the team. He kind of regrets for the way he acted towards her— almost as if he was annoyed of her discussing the things that hurt him the most. How much his family caused a great deal of trauma on him. He looks away from his plate of food and looks at Toph who had stopped laughing by now.

“Toph, Im sorry for the way I acted out there when you just wanted to share things with me,” he apologized. She didn’t say anything, but looked straight at the ground wondering what she should she respond with. She was glad he acknowledged it, but she didn’t need it. She could still go on with her life without a life changing adventure with Zuko or even an apology.

“Thats what I get right? Just spilling out information right then and there?”

Zuko became startled and places his plate of food to the ground and shook his head no, “Its not like that, Toph, and you know that.”

“Dont worry about it, we have our plan to worry about,” she shushed him.

Lei had walked in and opened the cell door and picked up the remaining dishes. She returns back to the entrance of the cave where Lin had been standing there watching the island. Lin watched as Lei appeared right next to her. She stood by her for a while and looked down holding the trays of the prisoners kept inside. She goes to the water and began cleaning the dishes. _How long will we keep this up?_ She thought to herself. Listening to the water and its waves crashing against the shore, she remembers a memory that she had never thought of in many years. She remembers the night Lei had tried to take her own life. She was standing in front of the water watching the waves crash.

_“No! Don’t do it!” Lin called out to her friend. It was late in the night and Lei looked up to the night sky looking at the moon. Lei ignored Lin and kept looking at the sky, but then she looked straight at the dark water. She thought about the difference between the water in the day time. How soothing and soft the waves were compared to the violent and harsh roaring of the waves during the nighttime. She knows the moon is in control of the tides and even more powerful when it is shown at night. She began to walk closer to the water— letting her feet touch the water and later walking in deeper up to her knees. “You have me! You don’t have to do this!” Her friend continued._

_“Do you ever think about how everything is connected? How the moon is in control of everything? I think its my destiny to do this,” Lei replied letting a single tear fall down to her cheek looking at Lin finally. She saw how jaded she looked. It wasn’t very hard to tell. It was seen visibly. Anyone that looked at her, would know she didn’t want to continue anymore._

_Lin shakes her head at her friends commentary, “No! It’s not your destiny, Lei. Its my destiny to take care of you. You have me. Please think about this!” Lei walks closer to the water and began to get in deeper and deeper into the water. Letting her chest be consumed to the water. She lets herself sink down and that is when Lin jumps into the water swimming up to where she remembers seeing her friend. She dips her head in and sees her friend sinking down, but was not that far from the surface. Lin raced down and wrapped her arm around her friends chest under Leis arms and dragged her back up to the surface._

_Once they met with the surface, Lei was coughing up the water and began sobbing hysterically._

_“It hurts! It hurts so much! Im not okay, Lin! You should’ve let me go,” Lei shoves her head against her friends chest and continued crying clenching onto her friends shirt. “It hurts so much to see them in my dreams. Every time I close my eyes, they’re there. They’re dead in my eyes. I see their bodies all the time. Im so tired!” She pleads. Lin carries her up to the shore and places her on the sand and allows her friend to cry onto her shoulders. She embraces her friend and lets her be curled up against her._

_“I know. I know,” she whispered back at her friend still embracing her, but she was stroking her friends hair._ Ever since then, Lei was never the same. Luckily, she wasn’t alone in order to grief and cope. Lin’s family took her in to support her, and they had a stronger bond than they did in school. But after a while, the grief was too hard to handle and she turned to crime to cope and had took revenge on the robbers that had murdered her parents. The warden at the prison she was at noticed she needed psychological help from her trauma and visions she would see.

A few years later, Lin herself was admitted from reoccurring nightmares about how she saw her friend. She wasn’t able to sleep right or eat from rescuing her from attempting to end her life. Her mind snaps back to reality and sees Lei still washing the plates near the water and she seemed at peace. . . almost.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gaang discussing things to June. Mai releasing emotions even though she hardly does. Ty Lee and Mai dynamic :)  
> Toph and Zuko attempt to escape.

It had been hours on their journey looking for the avatar. They had come to a stop in a lonely spot in the Earth Kingdom outside of Ba Sing Se. They created a fire and Katara had grabbed a sack of food she had gathered when they were in the city with June looking for Zuko and Toph with the Shirshu. The so called team sat around a campfire that Sokka had made and allowed the friends to exchange food with each other and cook it by the fire.

They sat in silence. Usually they talked about anything when they were on their journeys, but the team had felt so drained from the day before fighting Azula and leaving the palace immediately. Mai sat next to Ty Lee and sat closer to her than she did with the rest of the team. She kept thinking about Zuko and hoping he was okay— she knew he would be, but she never knew what could happen to him or how powerful were these attackers. She hardly had an appetite due to her worrying about Zuko. Ty Lee nudged her friend and averted her eyes away from her bowl of food and looked at Mais and signaled that she should eat. Mai let out a sigh and poked at her food and began nibbling on it as she picked it up with her chopsticks.

“So what happened to the firelord? News hasn’t broke out yet,” June said placing her chopsticks down inside her bowl. The team looked up at her in disbelief that know one knew about the firelord. _Maybe it was a good thing for people not to know about it_ Aang thought. _Some civilians might not want him to return and might keep him where he was_ he thought.

“You mean no one in the entire world or even in the fire nation knows about Zukos disappearance?” Sokka said making a confused look. June shook her head in annoyance.

“They must have done a really good job keeping the news sealed.”

“Anyways, as I was saying what _did_ happen to him?” She asked once again annoyed that she wasn’t given details about the event. Mai furrowed her eyebrows at June’s tone.

Mai stood up from the ground in a strong stance and began to shout, “Well, he’s gone that’s what! What does it even matter what happened? He was taken away and is kept somewhere!” June furrowed her eyebrows back at her and stood up from the ground as well.

June pointed her finger at Mai, “Don’t forget that I’m the only way you’re going to be able to find him and your little friend! I suggest you watch that tone of yours.” Mai, still having her eyebrows furrowed in anger, looked away from June in defeat from continuing to verbally attack her, and slumped back down to the ground next to Ty Lee. Instead, she changed her mind and gets up quickly away from the team and the campfire and walks away fast. Ty Lee became alarmed as her friend walked away from them without uttering a word. Ty Lee got up, looked back at the team and walked away before notifying them that she will go after her.

“What was that all about?” June asked. She sat back down on the floor and Katara explained that her and Zuko are a couple. “Ah, that explains it. Anyways, the info?” She asked once again about the events. Aang closed his eyes and let out a sigh as he began to visualize what had happened in the palance. He opens his mouth to begin the story, but Suki stops him before he could start.

“I was there when the whole thing happened. Let me explain,” she reassured to him, and he nodded his head in approval.

* * *

“Mai?” Ty Lee calls for her friend. “Mai?” She shouts once more louder. It was dark out and had been really hard to try to see in the dark to find her friend.

“I’m over here,” Mai’s voice was heard softly. Ty Lee looked behind her and there was Mai sitting against a boulder that she passed by earlier. She rushed to her friend and sat next to her. She asked if she was okay, but all Mai did was nod her head, which Ty Lee knew she was lying but didn’t want to pressure her to reveal herself.

“I just wanted to have some alone time,” she explained. She looked away from Ty Lee and looked the other way. She felt her eyes stinging from the tears welling up in her eyes. She wipes them off before they slipped down to her cheek and let out a sigh. Ty Lee grabs Mais hand from her lap and gave it a gentle squeeze as if to reassure to her that things will be okay. Mai looked at her friend and gave her a subtle smile— something that she doesnt do quite often, but she wanted to let her friend know that she was okay and just wanted to collect herself for a bit.

“Should I go?” Ty Lee asked with concerned look in her eyes.

“No. I’d like company.”

“Okay, I don’t need to talk unless you want me to.” She let go of her friends hand and allowed her friend to collect herself. Mai drifted off into the silence. She wasn’t good at explaining how she felt and could come off as someone with strong feelings once she does. All she knew all her life was to never speak upon things, never let her voice be heard, and not to let her feelings come over from any little topic. She blamed this on her parents, but she knew it wasn’t entirely their fault if her fathers political career depended on her to not be controversial to the views of the people voting for her father.

“Im just worried about him. I want to believe he’s fine, but who knows? Azula is dangerous and who knows what she instructed the attackers to do to him. Especially Toph. I’m worried for the both of them,” Mai finally spoke up. Ty Lee didn’t speak, but all she did was widened her eyes and couldn’t believe Mai was opening up about her feelings like she did at Ember Island. She knew Mai didn’t really want a conversation. She understood that at times, it’s okay to just hear people out instead of talking with them about it.

After a while sitting in silence, Mai and Ty Lee returned to the campfire with the rest of the team and joined them.

“You know, it’s getting pretty late, and we hardly slept at all after the whole attack,” Sokka said rubbing his eyes. The team nodded in approval and everyone got up to get things ready for bed before the next day to locate Zuko and Toph. Before Mai put some things away helping her friends, she was approached by June where she apologized for her poor choice of words for a sensitive topic for Mai. All Mai could do was accept the apology to the bounty hunter. After all, she was helping them locate him and Toph.

The team had put themselves in their respectful sleeping bag waiting for the morning to come and look for the firelord and Toph as soon as possible. That night, Aang couldn’t sleep at all and lied awake looking at the stars. Everyone was asleep— or so he thought until he realized Katara laid wide awake too.

“Cant sleep?” Aang whispered to her. She looked at him not realizing that he was awake too.

“No, I’m just hoping they’re alive,” she replied. She looked back at the sky and focused on the stars. There weren’t that many out tonight from the clouds blocking most of the night sky. The moon was a crescent one tonight. Aang understood what she was feeling, but he was pretty sure everyone had felt some type of concern over the situation— they just didn’t want to discuss it much. Mai has taken the event at such a personal level where she doesnt seem like herself either. He realized that she never finished her bowl of food even after she came back to join the group with Ty Lee.

“Aang, do you ever think about what if it keeps happening to him? Those threats. . .” she emphasized, “ever since his coronation, these groups of people will go far and wide to hurt him, so he won’t be their firelord. Can you believe that? A seventeen year old.” He nodded his head. It was all he could say to her. He was only twelve when there were some people against him too just for disappearing a hundred years ago, and he could’ve prevented the war from happening, but Katara had said it was destiny for him to meet her a hundred years after because he probably would’ve been killed too if he had been there that day his people were killed.

“We should probably get some sleep. We hardly slept the night before from the attack,” he suggested. She nodded her head at him and turned to her side and adjusted herself. He did the same.

“Goodnight, Katara.” He whispered aloud. He didn’t get a response back and realized that she had already drifted to sleep.

* * *

“Okay, we have about a few minutes before Lei comes in with dinner,” Toph said. Zuko nodded his head to the steps of the plan he remembered.

“Lets do this.” He replied. Toph got up and metal bended her handcuffs off of her, and did the same to Zuko. He felt free and was excited for what they were about to do. Toph bended the two metal objects together and created tougher handcuffs. She smiled at her invention and metal bended the cell bars off from their places. The sound of the bars hitting the rock ground echoed out of the cave and alarmed Lei and Lin. Toph heard the footsteps approaching. She signaled at Zuko to take their places before she had seen them. They both sat against the cell wall and pretended they were handcuffed like they were when brought in for the first time into the cell. Zuko hid his hands in front of him by sitting criss-crossed and hiding them inside the space between his legs and pelvis area. Toph hid her hands behind her like so and waited for Lei to arrive.

Lei stopped in her tracks and saw the metal bars on the ground and furrowed her eyebrows at the prisoners, “What is the meaning of this?” She yelled at the firelord and Toph where her angry voice echoed throughout the cave. Toph let out a snarky smile and earthbended a wall and shoved it against Lei— she wasn’t expecting them to not have their handcuffs on them. Her eyes widened as the wall consumed her body and hit her body against the rocky wall. She let out groans trying to free herself from the thick rock material.

“You just met the worlds first metal bender,” she pointed her finger at Lei and let out a proud smile. Toph put an arm arched back to her while the other was in a fist and punched in the air towards Lei, and the rock wall broke off of Leis body-- causing her to fall to the ground. She lets out a grunt as she lands face first, and Toph immediately grabs the thick handcuffs she had metal blended earlier and handcuffs Lei.

“You won’t get away with this!” Lei yelled at them.

“We already have,” Zuko reassured to her. Toph shushed him and listened closely. There was footsteps approaching.

“Zuko we have company!” She yelled back. Zuko saw Lin approaching as fast as she could. Zuko stood in a stance of defense and so did Toph. Lin stopped herself from getting any closer to them. _Don’t forget you’re a non bender! You’re useless!_ She thought to herself to the time Lei had told her that. She saw Lei on the ground handcuffed, and she felt absurd. She didn’t feel weird seeing her friend handcuffed. She gets down on one knee and bows to the firelord.

“Forgive me, firelord and his companion,” she pleaded. Tears started welling up on her waterline causing her vision to be blurry. A drop of tear lands on the ground and wets a small patch of the cave. Zuko gave a confused look at Toph and couldn’t believe that she was surrendering. He thought this person was as dangerous as his attacker, but it was the complete opposite of what he had thought.

“Remember I can tell who’s lying or not,” Toph reminded Zuko. He let out an okay and allowed Toph to ask her a question. Toph walked forward just a little closer to Lin.

“Are you surrendering?” Toph asked. Lin looked up from the ground and looks at Toph.

“Y-yes. I will grant you safety and apologize for what I had done. Azula—“ she stopped herself and looked at Zuko. Zuko widened his eyes and backed away from her a little. His mind flashes back to all the times Azula would promise him things but never came true and would lie to him.

“She was supposed to meet up with you guys here?” Toph asked once more.

More tears slipped down Lin’s face, “Yes, but she never returned. I questioned why did I even do it. She’s a good liar.”

“Azula always lies,” Zuko mutters. His heart was pounding and kept thinking about his sister. How much he had wanted them to be like Sokka and Katara. He envied that Sokka had a close relationship with his sister than he did with Azula. As much as he wanted to or made attempts and thought she was reciprocating that same energy, he was left hurt in the end and felt used.

“You fool!” Lei shouts at Lin, “You’re a traitor! You’re just like Azulas former friends! I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you!” Lin breaks down on the ground and couldn’t believe she was betraying her friend. She had been meaning to for a long time. She just didn’t think it’d end this way.

“I’m sorry!” Lin shouts back.

“No you’re not!” Lei attempted to free herself but failed.

“Please, I apologize for what I have done. I promise I wont do anything to you guys,” she pleaded bowing her head down. Toph stood back away from Lin and approached Zuko where he got a hold of her shoulder signaling to her that she was near him.

“She’s telling the truth,” she confirmed. Zuko was hesitant at first, but he knew Toph was right. He let his guard down and they didn’t hurt Lin.

“What’s your name?” Toph has asked.

“I’m Lin.”

“Get up,” Toph directed. Lin did what she was told and was visibly shaking and was scared of what they were going to do with her.

“We believe you, Lin. Just help us get out. Grab Lei and we’ll be on our way out.” Zuko ordered. Lin approached Lei who sat against the cave wall of the hallway but was yelled at to not help her. Lin backed away and frowned. They had walked out of the dim cave with the help of Zuko letting out fire on the palm of his hands. Toph was quiet and so was Zuko. So much was on their mind and they couldn’t really process what had happened. Toph couldn’t believe how the plan went better than expected. She thought they would’ve have had to fight endlessly at the attackers but that didn’t happen. Zuko thought about how much Azula had put these friends against each other. _She never changed_ he thought to himself.

Towards the end of the cave, the exit was luminous from the moonlight appearing.

“It’s nighttime already, Toph” he notified to her. She nodded her head but stopped once her feet touched the sand once out of the cave.

“Zuko, it’s getting fuzzy for me, I can’t really see,” she said pointing at her feet. He quickly approached to her and allowed her to wrap her arms around his and clinged to his body. Lei stopped herself from walking too, and tried running away from the group. Lin lunged at her and chi-blocked her just so she won’t escape again.

“She’s going to keep doing this,” Lin notified Zuko and Toph. Toph let out a sigh and metalbended the handcuffs off of Lei. Zuko helped Lin move the paralyzed Lei against a palm tree sitting up against it. They placed her hands behind her around the palm tree, and Toph placed the handcuffs on her again.

Toph and Zuko moved away from Lin and Lei and got closer to the water. Toph still holding on to Zukos arm, she firmly holds onto him as she senses the water coming closer to them. She felt at ease knowing Zuko was helping her and guiding her and not making her feel weak that she needs someone for help at all times. Zuko stares at the water and Toph faces forward at it.

“I don’t get it,” he whispered at Toph. “You said you came here on boat, and it’s not here. It would’ve been our escape like you said.” Zuko turns around behind him to see Lin sitting on the sand a few feet away from the palm tree where Lei was handcuffed to. She kept things to herself and was looking at the side of her just watching the wind blow through other palm trees surrounding them. “Where is the boat?” He shouts the question at Lin where she didn’t expect him to even talk to her after she surrendered to them. She gets up from the sand and approaches them and explained what Azulas plan was.

“We destroyed it just in case you escaped and there wouldn’t be a chance you were able to get off of this island. . .” She trails off and also mentioned a horrifying fact, “we were actually waiting for Azula to come get us, and we’d leave you here off this island alone, but she never came.” She looked away from Zukos stunned look. She didn’t expect that it would ever come to this, but she knew it was for her own good to not follow her friend or Azula anymore. Zuko didn’t know how to respond to such a thing, but he thanked her for the information. Toph didn’t know what to say after she felt Lin leave the two alone.

Toph sank down to the sand and sat criss-crossed. Zukos hand hung low as Toph tugged him down with her. The both of them were sitting on the sand as Toph clinged onto him again.

“Great. So we escaped, but we didn’t actually escape,” she clarified.

“Can’t believe this,” Zuko groaned and gently let himself lay on the grainy sand. Toph did the same and allowed herself to feel the texture of the sand around her body. She hears the roars of the waves ahead of her and found it soothing in a way. For a moment, they were quiet once again. Lost in their thoughts but enjoying in each other’s company.

* * *

 **Authors Note:** hope you guys enjoyed this long chapter. For right now, the dynamic between Zuko and Toph will be explored throughout this story in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gaang still trying to find Toph and Zuko. Toph and Zuko friendship fluff! :)

Toph hadn’t realized that she was asleep until she was awoken by Zuko yelling. She felt her hands touch the environment around her and still felt the grainy sand around her. They were still laying on the sand she thought to herself.

Zuko sat up in distraught and was sweating profoundly from his nightmare. Catching his breath, he studied the waves in front of him and looked up at the night sky. Next to him, Toph sat up too and was rubbing her eyes.

“Bad dream?” She asked yawning. She stretched and cracked her knuckles as a relaxation mechanism. Her body relaxed as she positioned herself sitting on the sand.

“Yeah, but I’m okay,” he said looking next to him at Toph. He looked behind him and there was Lin sleeping against the outside cave wall by the entrance, and Lei slumped against the tree with her arms still tied behind her back. Zukos stomach grumbles and he held onto his and realized they hadn’t eaten dinner, but he didn’t know where the girls had prepared their food or where it was kept. He laid back down on the sand and put his arms behind his head for support and stared at the night stars.

He thought back to what Toph had said about their field trip adventure, and although he apologized, he still felt bad that he had reacted that way after she had opened up to him. He contemplated whether to bring it up again. He cleared his throat trying to bring up the topic in conversation.

“You know Toph, I think we didnt have a field trip like Aang, Sokka, or Katara because you trusted me as soon as I offered myself to the team as a firebending teacher,” he engaged the conversation. With those words, Toph felt warm and smiled softly, and hated about the feelings occurring and punched his arm. He let out a small laugh and rubbed his arm where she had punched on his bicep.

“If it weren’t for me, you’d probably be toast long ago, Sparky,” she reached out her arm onto his and patted it. He knew for a fact that she was right. If it weren’t for Toph speaking up about Zuko, he wouldn’t have taught Aang how to firebend or been dead by now. He softly thanked her as he realized she was the whole reason he was still here.

Toph laid down next to him back on the sand and crossed her arms across her chest. She imagined what the waves might’ve looked like from her seismic sense. From what she had felt from touching water all these years, she imagined a whole area of liquid that was calm and vibrant from its creation, and tried to imagine a violent/ harsh waters like everything becoming sucked into one spot or the liquid growing as a wave. 

“Zuko. . .” She whispered.

He looked at her and reassured he was listening, “Hmm?”

She lets out a breath and suggests an idea, “Can you describe to me what the water or sky look like?” Her arms crossed across her chest grew tighter as her thumbs rubbed themselves against her arms and the side of her body— anxious if he would accept her request or laugh at the absurdity. Instead, he nodded his head and looked hard at the sky and the waters far from his feet. He fixed himself laying on the sand to get himself more comfortable and thought about how to describe the scenery.

“Lets see. . .” He began to think, “right above you is the sky. For right now, since it’s night, the sky is pitch black with tiny fragments of it being illuminated by the stars. Each star twinkles from any angle you look at it and makes you feel like you belong here.”

She closes her eyes trying to vision what he had described and smiled warmly at his descriptions. Her arms relaxed and were no longer right across her chest and she let them rest alongside the side of her.

“The moon. Don’t even get me started, she’s the star of the show. She illuminates the night sky and at times when she is big enough to see, she greets you warmly each night as if to say that she is there for you and will watch over you. She is perfect to me even though she has multiple facets in her surface when closer to earth. Sometimes I believe I can reach out to her and find myself living there when things are bad here— but lately it hasn’t been like that. The moon makes you feel hopeful about things in life.”

Toph couldn’t believe this was coming from Zuko. The Zuko that had found his true to self but still had to work on his short temper. He really did have a soft side that she wasn’t expecting, but she kind of liked it and it made her feel okay where they were at the moment. She wasn’t anxious on how they’d escape from the island, or if they’ll ever be found, but for right now, she felt okay. Just okay.

“Have you ever talked to the moon?” she asked. He hesitated to answer, but he shrugged it off, for it is only him and Toph near each other.

“Sometimes, but I have heard Sokka talk to the moon late at night when I can’t sleep.” Toph had remembered when the team would ride on Appa, at times she too would hear him talk, but she hadn’t realized he was talking to the moon and it all made sense now. Zuko had continued to talk about the scenery, but Toph has already felt her eyes feeling heavy and slowly closing. She tried fighting it off, but didn’t want Zuko to stop his nice descriptions about the world she couldn’t see.

After a while, Zuko had finished talking about the water and realized Toph wasn’t responding to his descriptions anymore. He heard her softly snoring and he whispered goodnight at her and watched the night sky once more.

* * *

The team had awoken bright and early. Sokka had wanted to return back to sleep from not sleeping the entire day before, but he knew it was important to find his friends. The gang had prepared their things and got on Appa and waited for June to ride on her Shirshu. Her Shirshu smelled the shirt of Tophs and let his nose poke through in the air trying to find her scent. It grew in excitement as it knew they were closer to finding Toph.

“Appa, yip yip!” Aang held onto the reins and guided Appa to follow June and her Shirshu. Sokka had snuggled up against Suki and curled up closing his eyes.

“Me so sleepy,” he muttered against her uniform. Suki warmly smiled at her sleeping boyfriend and wrapped her arm around him and began rubbing her hand gently on his shoulder. She knew how exhausted he was from the day before and felt bad he had stayed up the entire day knowing he hadn’t slept at all the night before. She was exhausted too. She hadn’t slept at all since she was guarding until that happened. They both did sleep, but it didn’t fulfill their exhausted body, but Suki wasn’t tired. She wished she could sleep like Sokka, but she felt alarmed the whole journey. Mai was on the saddle with them, and she felt the pressure on her for being the captain of the Kyoshi Warriors and had failed Mai because Zuko was captured.

She looked across the saddle and saw Mai looking out from the saddle and watching the ground from above. Mai was alone in her thought, and she had been notably quiet the whole journey, but the team understood her. Suki was just hoping Mai wasn’t mad at her.

Katara sat at the front of the saddle and looked out ahead and watched the sky and it’s clouds. She was studying the morning sky and fell in love with its vibrant colors. It had been a few days since the attack, and Katara had thought about that today would’ve been the day her and Sokka would return to the southern water tribe. As much as she loved her journey with Aang and the team, she missed home so much. She tried remembering her Gran Gran and the times they would bond together by keeping the tribe together and look after everyone. She missed talking with her gran gran and couldn’t wait to tell her all about her and Sokkas journey. Most of all, she missed her father. She only saw him a few times of course, but she hated how they were still separated and missed the times they shared for a few times. She let out a small frown, but she remained hopeful when looking at the sky’s colors.

* * *

Zuko had awoken once again to the bright sun once it had rose and winced at the brightness of it. He was from the fire nation and they tend to be a natural heater, and for him to be under the sun with no shade, he found himself to be sweating and hating the extreme heat. He sat up and looked next to him and noticed an empty spot on the sand where Toph used to lay down. She was gone. He looked behind him and near the cave was Toph sitting on the sand with Lin. They were chatting and Toph seemed to enjoy the conversation with her and they were both eating food.

Zuko got up from the granule sand and approached both of them. Lei was still handcuffed against the tree, but it seemed she wasnt going to try to escape again. She just sat there and watched the world around her without muttering a word. Toph sat with her back facing Zuko, and Lin sat in front of Toph facing Zuko. Toph felt him coming and a smile escaped from her lips.

“Good morning, Jerkbender,” she greeted to him. He greeted back at her and said hello to Lin and sat next to Toph. Toph informed that they had to portion the food since it was almost running out. She handed him a bowl of food and he began eating.

“What were you guys talking about?” He said putting down his bowl in front of him chewing his food. Toph swallowed her food and began to explain that she was talking about her journey with Aang on defeating the former firelord. Ozai.

“Oh yeah. My father,” he said and put his head down. He was proud of himself for standing up against his father, but then again, a child shouldn’t have to be against their own father. He wished his father wasn’t what he turned out to be.The small circle of them grew quiet, and Zuko regretted ever making a comment about his father.

A while in silence, Lin butted in the conversation and asked Zuko what was Azula like in the palace. He was stunned at the question. No matter where he went, his family and their history will always follow him, and he had to own up to it in some way. Toph felt Zukos heart drop and began to increase in speed of pumping. She was going to answer Lin and was going to offer her to change the topic, but Zuko actually answered her.

“Well from what I heard from you, nothing much has changed. She’s just like how she was back at home. She lies and is manipulative.”

“She actually was getting better at the facility, but she stopped taking her medication and would pretend to take them, then she became worse than from the day she was admitted,” Lin brought up. Zuko didn’t know about this and wished he was informed about it or knew some information about his sisters well-being at the facility.

“No one at the facility knew about the medication except for me and Lei,” she answered the questions running through his mind. She felt bad that he carried this burden of an entire nation on his shoulders and it’s problems caused by his predecessors. Zuko remembered about the day he had to admit her to the facility. Before she was sent, his advisors informed him that it was dangerous for them to allow her to walk in the palace and had her sent to a prison cell near the palace. Zuko almost visited her everyday, but when he would go, she wouldn’t talk to him. She sat on a chair with her straight-jacket and stare off into the distance. He would ask her how she was feeling and if she was okay, but she’d stayed silent. At times he’d cry because he felt alone and wished he had someone to talk to, but Uncle Iroh was away, and Azula was close to family communication than his father. On the day she was admitted to the psychiatric facility, he visited her before she was sent away and broke down when he saw her.

_“You’ll always be my sister,” he said to her and approached for a hug. Azula tensed up when she saw him approach her with open arms. It wasn’t what she was expecting. In her straight-jacket, she wanted to hug him back, but only allowed him to hug her, and she felt her body relax. Her mind than began to flood back memories from when they were children and actually played games together outside with their friends, and she too began to cry. Then, with a change of heart, she furrowed her eyes brows and grew angry that this is how it will always be, and shepulled her head back and flung it forward toward Zukos forehead. He winced in pain and fell to ground at this action. The nurses immediately saw what had happened, and were brought in the cell and took her away from him. She tried fighting back, but she was given a relaxing sedative, and she stopped crying and breathing frantically. Zuko sat up on the ground touching his forehead where he was hit and tears welled in his eyes as he watched his little and only sister away from him._

Zuko snapped back to reality and realized Toph was asking him a question.

“Zuko,” she snapped her fingers in front of him, “I was asking if you were done eating.” He responded yes to her, and she gathered everyone’s dishes. She walked in the sand toward the water in confidence without needing Zukos help and began cleaning their dishes. Lin got up from the ground and announced to the young firelord that she was going to go to Lei and give her her food. He nodded his head and was left alone, and he sat there contemplating and looking back at his life.

He had realized it had been a few days since he was home and felt disgusted with himself that he or Toph hadn’t been given the time to take a bath in the waters. He looked down at his clothes and was wearing his night wear just like Toph. He walked over to the water and took off his night ware and had only his undergarments and let himself be consumed by the water. He let his body be relaxed and allowed the water to carry him and lift him up to float. He closed his eyes as he was laying on top of the surface with his face pointed to the bright sky.

Toph had finished cleaning and couldn’t believe she was cleaning after everyone. She wanted to be nice for once and cleaned after everyone which was the first she had ever done. She heard splashing in front of her and grew concerned over the noise of it appearing more and more.

“Zuko?” She yelled out. She was kneeling on the sand and put her hand out in front of her on the ground to feel any vibrations. She felt herself panting and didn’t know if he was in trouble. She couldn’t go to the waters. She was scared of not seeing once in there, and if she were deep enough, she really couldn’t “see” at all and might drown.

Zuko heard her yelling out his name in panic and swam towards her to the shore. He began to walk once the water was shallow and reassured to her that he was fine.

“I’m here,” he reached out and held on to her shoulder. She stopped looking for vibrations on the sand and retracted her hand back and relaxed her body. She fought back her tears from slipping down from her panic.

“I thought you were in trouble. . .”

He let out a small smile and sat next to her, “Toph you do care.”

She punched his arm, which Zuko was already prepared for it and let her show her affection towards him.

“Nothing will ever happen to me in the water. I know how to swim,” he reassured to her. She couldn’t be believe it. It was like everyone she knew, knew how to swim, and she hated it because she couldn’t trust herself to learn it or have fun with her friends in the water except just standing on the shallow water.

“If I go deep enough, it’s hard for me to see, and it’s scary not knowing what’s out there,” she answered him. Zuko bent just knees and hugged them against his chest and stared off at the water. They were calm today and he began to think.

“What if I show you?”

“I’d much rather practice sand-bending than drown.”

Zuko laughed at Tophs response. She turned her head toward the sound of Zuko laughing and furrowed her eyebrows.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, just you’re being dramatic.”

Toph grew even more mad and stood on the sand and pointed her finger at him.

“Dramatic? I’d rather not drown Zuko. I can’t see? Hello? I’m blind!” She pointed at her eyes. He laughed even more ignoring her explanation.

“Yeah, but I’ll teach you. . .” He saw how her face dropped at his response, “Fine. I won’t teach you, but I’ll show you the basics like floating.” Toph looked away from him and didn’t want to argue with him anymore. As much as she liked Zuko and considered him a good friend of hers, he really should shut his mouth before she did something to make him stop. He noticed her body message was for him to back off from her, but he ignored it once again. He approached to her and put one hand behind her shoulder and stood in front of her.

She tried bringing up her arm to push his hand off of her shoulder, “Zuko, I swear. . .” To which he stopped her from continuing and began explaining how he was going to show her.

“Look, Toph. Here me out. You’re not going to be alone, and I will be there with you. I’ll hold on to you the whole time so you won’t feel scared from not being able to see.” He looked at her eyes, and she was staring off at the ground. She let out a sigh and allowed him to go on with the plan to show her.

He held onto her arm and guided her toward the water and she tensed as her feet felt the cold water. She hesitated to keep going deeper, but she trusted Zuko and allowed herself to follow him. The water ended up being midway to her thigh as Zuko stopped and thought it was best to stop there before going even more deeper.

“So for floating, it’s almost like if you’re laying on the ground, just with the water holding you up,” he said. He motioned for her to pretend as if she were laying down on the ground, and shedid, and Zuko held onto her back, and allowed her head to rest against his chest as she allowed her body to be supported by the surface of the water.

Subconsciously, her legs wanted to plant themselves to the ground and wanted to feel vibrations or anything to help her see, and her legs dropping to the depth of the water made her sink. She panicked as she felt the water almost consume her face until Zuko brought her closer to him and prevented her from sinking more. She “laid” down once more and Zuko held her legs below and brought them to the surface like they should as he held onto her head from sinking down. She let her legs be spread apart just a tiny bit and her arms spread away from her body.

“Yeah just like that!” Zuko encouraged her. He thought that the waters surface had supported her body and let go of her head and legs, and watched her body allow the water to carry her. She didn’t realize that Zuko wasn’t supporting her and began to lay still as her body moved as small waves went under her.

“I find this relaxing,” she said.

Zuko floated next to her and watched the sky and answered her, “Yeah I try to do it as often as I can. Back home, I have a pond with turtle-ducks that my mom and I would just sit near it and feed them. Lately, I’ve been going there when I have time just to have some time away from paperwork.” She realized that Zuko wasn’t holding onto her anymore and almost panicked until Zuko reached out to her.

“How long was I floating without you helping?”

“For a while, but you didn’t notice! You know how to float now!” He encouraged her once more.

* * *

The Shirshu had put itself to a stop as there was no more land to walk on. They were facing a body of water.

“See that tiny island across the water?” June asked to the team. They nodded their head and she proceeded to explain. “They must be there. This is as far as my Shirshu could go. Good luck to you all.” She held onto the reins on her Shirshu and walked off from the scene.

“So that’s it?” Aang questioned at the now awake Sokka. Sokka nodded his head and reassured Aang to trust June and her Shirshu’s instincts. With the words for Appa to fly, Appa carried the rest of the team on his saddle and flew across the water.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Mai muttered and looked away from watching the water down below. Ty Lee held onto Mai’s hand and reassured to her that they will be fine.

“What if there’s a whole army there protecting them?” Katara asked. Sokka thought long and hard and looked off into the distance of the small island up ahead.

“We have the avatar, and the best kyoshi warriors, a master water bender surrounded by water, and mai with her knives, and I with the brains and my boomerang!” He stated proudly. Katara rolled her eyes at her brother and sighed.

“I hope you’re right,” she said looking out from the saddle and onto the island ahead.

* * *

 **Authors note:** Hey all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter with more of a dynamic and insight into Toph and Zuko's friendship :) Thank you for reading, and thank you so much for the kudos and comments. I love reading on your insights, and they all mean a lot to me regardless. Thanks again! 


	7. Chapter 7

Zuko and Toph dried themselves off at the shore and Lin respectfully left them alone. She knows they’re not buddy-buddy and instead walked along the island and notified them she would return soon.

“What will you do to Azula once you get back home?” Toph initiated the conversation. Zuko thought long and hard and wondered if he would be able to talk to her.

“It’s a possibility she’s at the facility again, but I’ll make sure to talk to her nurses and doctors and make sure she’s being properly treated and notify me about her well-being every week.”

“And your dad?”

“My dads in prision, but I don’t think I’ll ever talk to him.”

“But what about your mom?” Zukos body tensed up at the question. He hadn’t thought about his mom for a long time, and now was wondering if she was alive, and if she was the same person he had grew up with. Toph felt his body language turn into an uncomfortable shift where he had sunk himself more down, and she apologized to him for bringing it up.

“I haven’t talked to my parents this whole time,” she said with her knees bent and hugging them against her chest. She buried her face between her knees, so Zuko wouldn’t see her tears building up.

“I think you should try to communicate with them. I’m sure they’re not mad at you. That’s how I felt about my uncle, but he loved me no matter what and told me I didn’t need to apologize.”

“You don’t know my parents. What if they’ll resent me? They wanted me to be shut out from the world and thought of me as fragile.” She sniffles and let a tear escape and it dropped to the sand making the sand consume it and turn into a dark beige color from the wetness. Toph missed her parents, but she doesn’t know if they’ll ever meet eye to eye. She wanted them to accept her for who she was, and most importantly to love her no matter what.

“Once we’re back, I can write a letter for you and send it off to the Beifongs. Would you like that?” He asks her. He watched for her to lift her head out from between her knees, and she wiped her tears away and nodded her head. She muttered a thank you to him, and they sat in silence absorbing their conversation. Toph thought that it felt good to talk to someone about it. Someone who understood her background and as for him, he thought the same.

Toph got up and left Zuko alone, and she decided to make a little gift for him. From her seismic senses, she had the feelings of how lower level of Ba Sing Se felt. She exhaled a breath of air and sand-bended the buildings and pathways of the place Zuko had found his way with us uncle. She approached Zuko and tapped on his shoulder. He was startled at first, and he turned around to a smiling earth-bender.

“What did you do?” He asked wanting answers. She grasped his arm and pulled him up from the sand, and guided him to her masterpiece. Zuko gasped at her creation.

“Is that- ?” He gasps eyeing her creation. 

“The jasmine dragon? Yes,” she answered her question and knew how happy he was to see it. Zuko knelt down on the sand to see even more closely at his uncles tea shop.

“And you even made my uncle standing outside of his shop,” he said happily. He couldn’t believe it. He missed his uncle so much, and seeing a creation of him made him shed a tear. He truly wishes he could be home and see him soon. He thanked Toph and hugged her before she was able to back away from him. He broke off the hug and looked up at the sky and saw a dark shadow. The figure came down closer and into a more white fluffy creature.

“Appa?” He questioned out loud. The creature came closer and it was indeed Appa. Toph gasped at excitement at the news and waved her arms around above her so Appa could locate them.

“It is him!” Zuko exclaimed. Lin approached the firelord and Toph closer to see what was the fuss about. She couldn’t believe her eyes. A flying bison... and not just any bison... the avatars’. Appa landed safely on the sand and the team jumped out from the saddle and into a defensive stance.

“Zuko, watch out!” Sokka yelled out about to throw his boomerang at Lin. Lin placed her hands up to surrender and show she won’t fight back. Zuko jumped in front of Lin and told them that she was good. She won’t hurt them. To the teams disappointment, they weren’t going to put up a fight, but the good news is that they won’t be fighting anymore much for a long time. They dropped their defense stance and ran towards the firelord and Toph.

“It’s so good to see you guys!” Katara hugged Toph and then everyone else got into a group hug. Zuko was very happy to his friends and most importantly his girlfriend. He smiled at her and she did the same with tears welling up in her eyes. Mai was very glad that he was safe and so was Toph. They broke off the hug and Toph explained everything and allowed Zuko to have some alone time with Mai.

They walked closer to the water and he held onto her hands, and she looked into his eyes.

“I was so worried about you,” she said with her voice trembling. She looked away from him, and Zuko gently held onto her chin and positioned her head to face him.

“I’m here now,” he said reassuring to her. They embraced once again and pulled away. They looked at each other for a while, and Zuko was stunned at her beauty. He had always loved her since they were kids and so did she. They both closed their eyes and leaned in closer until they heard Ty Lee’s voice grow louder in anger. They broke off their trance and looked behind them to where the rest of the team were huddled together. Mai and Zuko ran towards the group to see what was wrong.

“You! I know you!” Ty Lee said pointing at the slumped Lei handcuffed against the tree. Aang and Katara looked at each other in confusion. Lei paid no mind to the circus girl and pretended whatever was happening wasn’t happening in her mind.“That’s it!” She says snapping her fingers in realization. “You were in prison with us! How did you...” she didn’t finish her sentence since Lei cut her off.

“I watched you and the warriors practice defense and fighting mechanisms. I even saw you how to Chi-block dozens of times!” She says smirking.

Zuko and Toph widened their eyes, “So that’s how you know Chi-blocking.” It all made sense now. Ty Lee couldn’t believe Lei knew how to Chi-block. She thought she was teaching the warriors very secretively about it.

“Should’ve been careful next time,” Lei laughed at her response. Ty Lee furrowed her eyebrows at the attacker.

“I should say the same for you.” Lei widened her eyes in anger and tried all her might to break off from the handcuffs. The team backed away, but Toph reassured everyone that she is secured.

The team all nodded unanimously that they must leave the island already. The Fire Nation couldn’t go on without its actual ruler. It was time for them to go, and the team went on Appas saddle.

“Good to see you, captain,” Zuko said to Suki to where she smiled and responded how glad she was that he was okay. With her time being his guard, they grew a bond where they trusted each other and would joke around with Ty Lee. They didn’t leave Lei and Lin alone on the island, but it took Zuko and Sokka to help Lei go on Appa. With everyone sitting on the saddle, the ride back to the Fire Nation was a bit awkward for the team as the attackers sat along with them, but it didn’t bother Toph or Zuko.

“What happened to my sister?” Zuko brought up the question to his friends. They told him that she was taken away, but sadly, they don’t know much information on what else happened to her. He had hoped they treated his sister right. As much as she did bad, she wasn’t in the right state of mind, and he had hoped they didn’t treat her harshly. “Who has taken my place to watch over the nation?”

“Your uncle of course,” Mai answered his question. Zuko smiled at the thought of his uncle. _He’s back home?_ He asked himself and couldn’t wait any longer to see him. He had missed seeing his uncle daily and talking with him. He looked at the pink and purple sky as the sun was setting. Appa flew through the sky as team avatar remained hopeful about the future.


	8. Chapter 8

Team Avatar arrived at the Fire Nation’s palace safely and secretively, for the news about the firelord still hadn’t broken out. Zuko was greeted by his advisors and assistants where he showcased the two attackers, and notified to them to have them sent to the facility instead of prison, since they still needed help on their mentality. He also wanted them to be treated respectfully. They nodded their heads and took them away.

Zuko walked into the palace and found himself looking for his uncle immediately. He ran throughout the hallways looking for him. He passed through a hallway where a man stood in open arms. Zuko took a second glance and realized it was his uncle. He smiled and teared up just a bit seeing him.

“Im so glad you are okay, my nephew,” Uncle Iroh said hugging his beloved nephew. They embraced for a while, and Zuko explained to him about what had happened. They walked towards Zukos office where he worked, reading and signing papers and discussing meetings with his assistants with government officials.

“Where is my sister?” He asked to his uncle. Iroh let out a gentle smile and put his hand on Zukos shoulder and reassured to him that she was okay and back at the facility being taken cared of. He was glad to hear about that, but he would like to visit her one day and discuss matters with her nurses and doctors about her mental state.

“You need to rest, Zuko. It must’ve been rough for you,” he said bringing in a tray of teacups and a steaming teapot. Zuko had missed the tea from his uncle. He knew he couldn’t brew tea just like his uncle, but he knows maybe one day he can achieve the greatness of it. He takes a cup after his uncle poured tea into the tea cup, and Zuko took a sip slowly and felt the warm liquid go down his throat and fulfill his stomach inside. He felt at peace and okay for the moment. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time and wished that feeling can be there longer.

“I know we just had reconnected, but I must leave tomorrow back to the Earth Kingdom. I have my shop to look after,” Uncle Iroh said putting his tea down on the tray. Zuko didn’t feel disappointed about the news. He knew his uncle had his own life and had to return back to it some day.

“I understand, uncle. It was nice seeing you,” he said embracing his uncle once more.

During the day, the palace celebrated the firelords return with a small feast and showing appreciation to Team Avatar for their heroic work.

“Finally! Some meat,” Sokka swooned at the amount of food set at the table and couldn’t choose where to start. Zuko sat at the head of the table and Aang at his right side. The avatar was his best friend now and always looked to Aang for guidance and appreciated his advise.

“I’m sorry, Aang, but you wouldn’t mind staying here for a bit? I have meetings resumed starting in two days, and I’d like for you to be there and hear your input. We must reconstruct the world,” he said chewing his food. Aang looked at Katara across from him as Zuko asked this. He knew how much she wanted to return back home, and looked back at Zuko nervously. Katara looked at Aang and nodded her head in approval. She knew that having the avatar as her boyfriend came with a price and didn’t mind staying a bit more at the nation. Aang approved Zukos request and began eating again.

Sokka sat next to Suki at the table and the two were eating.

“Oh, Suki!” He said putting his hand in his pocket grabbing something. “I made you something while on our journey to find Toph and Zuko.” He took his hand out and handed her a handmade bracelet. Suki stuck her hand out at him and allowed him to put the bracelet on her. She smiled at the material and studied it. He had used strong straw he had found and small flowers and wrapped it around the straw to secure the tiny flower and its petals.

“Sokka, this is so sweet,” she said leaning over to him and giving him a kiss on his cheek. Toph sat across from Sokka and smiled.

“Its so beautiful, Sokka!” She said with a smirk on her face. Sokka thought nothing of it and turned to her and thanked her.

“Thank you, Toph. I worked really hard on it, you know?” He smiled proud of himself. He looked at Toph with the mischievous look on her face, and his smile dropped.

“Seriously? Stop doing that!”

Toph couldn’t help but laugh at the annoyance coming from Sokka.

Sokka felt small hands crawling on his back and onto his shoulders.

“Hey, Momo,” he said smiling at the flying lemur. The creature chittered back at the tribesman-warrior and crawled down to the front of Sokkas chest, leaned out, and grabbed Sokka’s food from his plate and flew away before Sokka could do anything about it.

“I should’ve known! You traitor!” He said looking back at Momo flying behind him until he landed near a windowsill and began eating the food he had grabbed. The gang laughed at Sokkas reaction towards Momo.

* * *

After dinner, the sun was setting once more, and Zuko sat near his writing desk and looking at important paperwork that he needed to review from his time gone. He heard a knock on the door and put his papers down from reading them.

“Come in,” he said aloud for the person to hear. The door knob turned and Toph entered the room.

“Are you busy?” She asked. Zuko looked over at the pile of paper-work at the corner of his desk and looked back at his friend and told her no.

“It can wait. Whats wrong?”

“I'd like for you to write the letter to my parents. I’m leaving with Iroh back to the Earth Kingdom. I wanted to send the letter while on our way over there as a heads up to my parents.” Zuko nodded his head and looked in the drawers of his writing desk to find blank sheets of paper. He got up from the desk and approached toward Toph and guided her to a chair that was in front of his desk. She sat down and faced his desk. He sat back down and allowed the pen to drown in ink and put his writing hand over the paper.

“What would you like me to say?” He asked. She put her head down and thought how would she even start the letter? What would her parents think of her? Time had passed for so long, and she wondered so much and was scared on how they’d react seeing her. She inhaled and exhaled heavily. She was scared of course, but then began to talk, and Zuko began writing the words she had wanted to say for so long to her parents, but didn’t have the voice for.

Zuko finished writing and read the letter out loud:

“Dear mom and dad,

I am having a friend of mine write this letter for you as I tell them what I have been wanting to say for a while.

I know it was hard for you to see me go, but I am capable of doing things on my own. You guys made me feel so fragile, and I couldn’t live like that anymore. I fought in the war and helped the avatar defeat the fire nation from Firelord Ozais ruling.

I am alive and well. Honestly, I truly miss you two, and I hope you forgive me and accept me for who I am once again.

This letter is me notifying you that in a few days, I’ll arrive back home, and am sending you this to prepare you for my return. If you don’t want me there, I understand. I’ll return back to the fire nation and figure things out, but I’d like to talk it out first when I arrive.

I hope to be back in your lives once again.

Sincerely,

your daughter, Toph. “

Toph nodded her head in approval, and Zuko rolled the paper nicely and had it tied. He called for his messenger hawk and had it addressed to the Beifongs. She thanked him and approached him towards his side of his desk. He closed his eyes as his body tensed—prepared for Toph punching his arm, but to his surprise, she hugged him instead, but it quickly ended as she pulled away.

“I should go,” she said pointing the door to exit. “Goodnight, Zuko.” She said. He smiled and told her goodnight as well.

“Do you know where your room is from this side of the palace?” He asked. She nodded her head and convinced him she didn’t need help. She walked out of the office, and turned left out of the door. Zuko stared at the doorway as he saw Toph head the wrong way to her guest-room. Then, Zuko saw her pass by the door once again heading the other way.

“Its this way. I know,” she said continuing walking. Zuko laughed and went back to looking at his paperwork.

He heard another knock on the door and looked up once again from his papers. The door was open and there stood the kyoshi warrior captain. He allowed her to come in, and she stood in front of his desk not wanting to sit down. She looked around the room not meeting eye to Zuko and wondering how should she initiate the conversation.

“I’m glad you and Toph are safe,” she finally said. She had her arms crossed and had one of her hands hold onto her arm and gently rubbed against it. She let out a sigh and looked away from the firelord. “I don’t think I’m worthy to protect you anymore.”

Zuko shook his head confused from what was coming out of his friends mouth. _Why would she want to resign?_ he thought.

“What are you talking about, Suki?” He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“I- I failed Mai’s wishes from protecting you. You shouldn’t have been taken away and held captive.”

He shook his head no and got up to stand next to his desk facing the warrior. “I can assure you, Mai and I aren’t mad. You must stay. It was unfortunate, yes, but we didn’t expect it. We were attacked right then and there.” She knew he was right, but somehow she still felt guilty and blamed the whole thing on herself. He approached her closer in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Mai and I trust you. Please know it wasn’t your fault. We’re not mad at you, and you are needed here.” She nodded at his words and looked at him. She believed every word he had said to her.

“You mean it?” She had asked. He nodded his head with a small smile.

“You have a duty, and we wouldn’t have let you go over a situation that was out of your control,” he reassured to her. She smiled back at him, and he pulled her in for a hug. He sat back down on his seat and gestured Suki to sit in front of his desk. “Actually, I wanted you to come in either way because I have a few suggestions about the future of the kyoshi warriors staying here.” Suki nodded her head and listened to what the firelord had to say. He implied that there should be more warriors in the palace as a safety measure from future attacks, if there ever would be one. She nodded her head in agreement and approved his wishes. She felt much better about it and believed it would prevent more events like that night from happening. Their brief meeting had ended, and she reassured to Zuko she will soon recruit more women to join.

“Thank you, Suki,” he said and bowed his head down at her. She did the same and approached the door.

“Goodnight, Zuko. You should get some sleep.”

“I’m not tired, but goodnight, Suki,” he said still sitting on his desk chair. He grabbed his paperwork that he had been reading earlier and resumed back to work. She looked at him once more, walked out the door, and shut it closed behind her.

* * *

The next day, Zuko had woken up with his head on top of his paperwork. He lifted his head up and rubbed his eyes. He didn’t even know he fell asleep. He stayed up all night catching up on the work Iroh had done and the ones he still needed to put attention to. He had realized it was the afternoon, and widened his eyes at the realization that his uncle and Toph were leaving today. He ran out of his office and ran down the hallway to which he ignored his servants greeting him. _Uncle wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye_ he thought. _He wouldn’t do that._ He arrived towards the dinning room, and his servant stood outside from the doors of the room and greeted him.

“You’re just in time, Firelord Zuko. The guests have finished eating lunch, and are saying their farewells to General Iroh,” the servant said and opened the doors of the room. His friends gathered around his uncle and were hugging him and saying goodbye to him. Everyone looked away from the tea-loving person and looked at the out of breath young firelord standing at the door. Zuko said hello to his friends and approached to his uncle sitting on a chair leaning against the dining table.

“I am going to miss you, Uncle,” he said hugging him. His uncle embraced back and smiled. He pulled away from his nephew and rests both of his hands on Zukos shoudler.

“You can always visit and send me a letter, Zuko. You’re not alone,” he reassured to him. Zuko nodded at his uncles words and made a mental note to himself to write a letter to his uncle now and then. Zuko looked around the room and noticed Toph wasn’t in the room.

“Where is Toph?” He asked. Everyone looked at each other and shrugged. Zuko told him he’d come back, and walked out the room looking for his friend. He looked around the palace looking for her, until he had realized where she might’ve been this whole time.

He walked toward the courtyard where the pond with turtle-ducks had stood. He saw his young earth-bender friend sitting against the tree and had a turtle-duck on the palm of her hand and allowing the animal nibble on her hand.

“I know you’re there, Sparky,” she pointed to where he stood. He got closer to her and sat down next to her against the tall tree where the top of it hovered over them creating a shade. “How’d you know I was here?”

“I figured you were curious about the pond when I talked about it.” He shifted himself and sat criss-crossed against the tree. Toph held out her hand at him, and Zuko cupped his hands together and allowed the small turtle-duck waddle across her hands into his.

“They feel so soft,” Toph said. Zuko nodded and leaned toward the pond and let the turtle-duck plop back down to the water and swim towards its mother. They sat in silence comfortable with just their presence for a while.

“Im going to hate saying this, but I will miss you, Zuko,” she said finally.

Zuko looked at her and let out a small smile, “Me too.” He meant what he said. With the time he had with Toph back at the island, they had grew a special bond where Zuko thought of her as a little sister, while Toph looked up to him as an older brother. Zuko looked away from the pond and saw one of his advisors approaching the two.

“Its time,” he said looking at Toph. Zuko nodded his head and prepared himself to see his friend and Uncle go back to their lives. He helped Toph up and walked together towards the entry of the palace and was met up with his uncle and his friends. They all huddled together into a group hug and said their goodbyes again.

“Goodbye, Twinkle-toes,” Toph said punching his arm. “Goodbye Sugar Queen and Snoozles,” she said hugging her friends. She stood in front of Zuko and hugged him one last time. “Goodbye, Sparky.” She pulled off the hug and walked towards Iroh who had watched the kids say goodbye to each other. Toph and Iroh walked together towards the exit, and looked behind them to wave goodbye once again.

It was bittersweet for Zuko to see one of his friends that he had created a special bond to go away, and for his uncle that he looked up to as a father, leave home. He waved goodbye and saw them being helped by the workers of his palace onto the royal airship and left. With his uncle and friend gone, he stood there absorbing the emptiness feeling, and he felt himself being embraced by his remaining friend and smiled. They knew how much the two people meant to him, and they understood how he was feeling.

“You will be fine, buddy. You have us,” Sokka said patting Zukos shoulder.

His friends had left him alone, and Zuko entered his bedroom to where he found something laying on his bed. He approached closer and it was a note. He picked it up and read it.

“Zuko,

Dont forget you’re not alone.

Love, your uncle.

P.s. I will be back soon, jerk-bender

-Toph (she made me write that -Uncle)”

Zuko smiled at the small note and understood that he won’t be alone on his role as firelord. He had people and friends that cared about him. He trusted those close to him, and loved them the same. He saved the note for when he needed it to look back to, and couldn’t wait to send a letter to his uncle and check up on Toph after she meets her family.

“Yeah, see you soon.” He muttered to himself smiling.

* * *

 **Authors note** : Well, this is the end. Kind of bittersweet don’t you think? I hoped you enjoyed this mini-story and Zukos/Tophs friendship blossom. To me, its a bit sad to end this story cause I enjoyed writing the Avatar-verse and explore the characters once again. Love the characters so much!

Thank you for reading!


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